Contents

New Tricks began as a one-off episode broadcast on 27 March 2003. This attracted sufficient viewers for the BBC to commission a series of six episodes, which began on 1 April 2004. Eight-episode series were subsequently commissioned for 2005, 2006 and 2007. A fifth series was commissioned by the BBC after the audience share rose week upon week for the previous series.[3] In 2007, an episode from the fourth series received viewing figures of 9.25 million, becoming the second most watched programme on BBC One that week, and the most watched New Tricks episode to that point.[4] The fifth series continued this good run - on two occasions it was the most watched programme in Britain for the week, and the seventh episode gained a new series high rating of 9.36 million - second only to the X Factor that week.[5] The fifth series aired from 7 July to 25 August 2008. The sixth series finished location filming on 8 May 2009 in Central London and began airing on 16 July 2009.[6] The opening episode of series six was watched by 8.07 million, despite clashing with Five's The Mentalist (1.64m) and ITV's Living With Michael Jackson (3.64m). The second episode clashed with The Mentalist and the relaunch of The Bill on ITV, and was watched by 7.59 million.

Series 7 and 8 were commissioned by the BBC in September 2009, ensuring that the show would run until 2011.[7] The seventh series began airing on 10 September 2010 and completed its run on 12 November. The eighth series opened on 4 July 2011 with 9.2 million viewers, the show's highest rating for three years, and the first since the fifth series to break the 9 million barrier.[8] The third episode of series 8, "Lost in Translation", was the show's highest rated episode to date with 9.7 million viewers, becoming the most watched television programme of the week in the UK.[9] Episode 7, "The Gentleman Vanishes," surpassed this figure with 9.87 million viewers, and was again the top programme of the week.[10]

The BBC confirmed in September 2011 that a further two series, each of ten episodes, had been commissioned, to be broadcast in 2012 and 2013.[11]James Bolam, who played the part of Jack Halford, has left the show, claiming that it had "become stale":[12] he made his final regular appearance in the first episode of Series 9, making a guest appearance in Series 10, episode 8. In the fourth episode, Denis Lawson joined the cast, as the new character of retired DI Steve McAndrew.[13] Prior to the ninth series premiere, both Amanda Redman[14] and Alun Armstrong[15] announced that they would be leaving the show after the tenth series. The first programme of series nine was broadcast on 27 August 2012, and gained 8.52 million viewers, which was the highest rating of the week.[16]Only Fools and Horses star Nicholas Lyndhurst and EastEnders star Tamzin Outhwaite appeared in Series 10, which was broadcast in Britain between 30 July and 1 October 2013.[17] The opening episode of the tenth series gained an audience of 8.86 million viewers, making it the twelfth most watched programme of the year.[18]

Filming for Series 11 began in late 2013,[19] and Episode 1 of the series was broadcast at 21:00 GMT on BBC One and BBC One HD on 18 August 2014.

A twelfth series of the show began filming in the Autumn of 2014, ready for broadcasting in the Autumn of 2015. It was also revealed that Dennis Waterman would be leaving the series in the early episodes. In February 2015 it was announced that the twelfth series would be the last.[20]

The series is broadcast in at least twenty-five countries, and is also available on DVD and via online streaming. New Tricks is produced by Wall to Wall Television for the BBC.

Brian Lane (Ex-DetectiveInspector) (Alun Armstrong) (2003–2013): Born in 1946, Brian 'Memory' Lane is an exceptional detective, possessing a keen attention to detail and a remarkable instant recall memory that allows him to call up obscure details not only regarding cases but also the officers who investigated them. He often gets around by bicycle. He is married to the long-suffering but caring Esther; they have an adult son called Mark. Brian is socially inept and eccentric, a recovering alcoholic with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. He therefore has a tendency to get himself into trouble, despite good intentions. He left the force under a cloud, having been held partly responsible for the death of a prisoner in his custody at the height of his alcoholism. Brian maintained that it was part of a conspiracy against him, and he was initially consumed with discovering who was behind it; his colleagues believed that he made a mistake and would not admit it. In Series 5, following Jack's temporary disappearance and several bad experiences on cases, Brian resumes drinking alcohol, and attends Alcoholics Anonymous meetings again. When she finds out, Esther walks out on him. She later forces Brian into treatment after this incident, and he has not been shown to have suffered lapses since. Brian is an AFC Wimbledon fan, and he once misses a celebratory drink with his UCOS mates to support his team. A keen war-gamer, in one episode he digs out his old war-gaming board and figurines and attends a war-game tournament, which he wins. In the first episode of the tenth series, Brian assaults the last senior officer still in the force that he believes to be involved in the conspiracy against him, in a final roll of the dice to find out the truth once and for all. In the second episode, Brian finally learns there was a conspiracy behind his disgrace, and proves that three policemen in charge of the custody suite, whose failure to check on the prisoner allowed him to die from drug-related complications, had then conspired to cover up their own culpability and pin the blame on the arresting officer, Brian. However, rather than risk the Met covering this up, Brian passes on a taped confession by one of the conspirators to the prisoner's mother, which in turn forces Strickland to fire Brian from UCOS. Actor Alun Armstrong left the show after filming the tenth series.[15]

John 'Jack' Halford (Ex-DetectiveChief Superintendent) (James Bolam) (2003–2012, 2013): The highest-ranking retired officer on the team, and the first to be approached by Sandra when setting up UCOS, Jack Halford is the unofficial second-in-command. He is also Sandra's mentor on numerous occasions; she was previously his subordinate on the murder squad. Jack retired from the force to care for his dearly-loved wife Mary, who had been the victim of a hit-and-run. He is still haunted by her death, partly because nobody was charged in connection with it, although in the third series it becomes common knowledge that Ricky Hanson was responsible. After being frustrated by Hanson's acquittal in his trial for attempted murder, Jack briefly disappears, but is found by Brian, and later returns to UCOS. Hanson is eventually charged and convicted with causing the death of Mary, and sentenced to life in prison. Jack still speaks to his wife's memorial in his garden, often seeking her help and opinion in solving cases. A softly-spoken and gentle man, he nevertheless possesses a quick and sometimes violent temper that he unleashes on suspects, although he will remain calm to intimidate career criminals and disturbed suspects. Jack has little time for the internal politics within the force, and is openly disdainful of those who lie, obstruct or mislead the police. Jack later leaves, giving only a day's notice, claiming that he has decided to retire to France and does not want to provide his colleagues with time to talk him out of it. Brian correctly deduces that Jack has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, and only has a short time to live, but promises not to tell the others until after Jack's death.[12][21] He returned as a ghost in series 10, episode 8 in the UCOS office, encouraging Sandra in her decision to move on and broaden her horizons elsewhere.

DetectiveSuperintendent Sandra Pullman (Amanda Redman) (2003–2013): Born in 1961, Sandra was the head of the unit. The only currently serving police officer - and at the time the only woman - in UCOS, she is also the youngest member. Sandra was a high flyer in Greater London's Metropolitan Police Service, until the shooting of a dog during a hostage rescue, which is a running joke during the early series. Following the incident, her career stalled and she is made to take on the running of UCOS, initially against her will. Ambitious and competitive, she has sacrificed personal life in pursuit of her career and likes to be in control of every situation. She lacks domestic skills. A running sub-plot involves Pullman's unsuccessful love life, which is mostly shown as a string of adulterous relationships and numerous failed efforts at romance, including an attempt at speed dating. Sandra is often exasperated by her colleagues' eccentricities, and their willingness to bend the rules, although she doesn't always play by the rulebook herself. Initially reluctant to lead the squad, she warms to her colleagues and views them as her friends. Her father, Detective Inspector Gordon Arthur Pullman, who was awarded the Queen's Medal for Bravery, committed suicide in 1975 by carbon monoxide poisoning, when Sandra was 14, while under investigation by Jack Halford after attempting to cover up killing a small-time criminal and pimp. Sandra did not find out about this until much later, believing that her father died of a heart attack. She is occasionally introduced as "Chief Superintendent Sandra Pullman", such as by Strickland at an awards ceremony, and by DCI Melissa Temple to her colleagues, but it appears that these are continuity errors. She leaves UCOS after episode 8 of series 10.[14]

Gerry Standing (Ex-Detective Sergeant) (Dennis Waterman) (2003–2015): Born Gerard Lestade, the son of Smithfield Market butcher Norman Lestade, Gerry changed his name as he did not get along with his father. He loudly protests against his French Huguenot background, preferring to be known as a Cockney, born and raised in Bermondsey. He is nicknamed "Last Man Standing", because of his refusal to take backhanders while the rest of his squad were all bought out by a gangster. Although he and his father did not see eye-to-eye over his failure to enter the meat trade, his family rallied behind him when Gerry got into debt with a gangster named Danny Paye in 1977. A 'Jack the Lad', Gerry is an old-school police officer. He was a top 'thief-taker', who passionately enjoyed catching criminals - but nevertheless mixed easily with them, which led to allegations of corruption. The final straw occurred when Gerry's boss, Don Bevan, falsely accused him of taking a bribe for botching a stake-out by beating a young girl, prompting Gerry to break Bevan's jaw. Although he always denied being corrupt, he quit the force before he could be disciplined, and showed no remorse for hitting his boss. A ladies' man, he has three ex-wives, all of whom remain on amicable terms with him; he still occasionally seduces them, and remains devoted to his daughters, although he regularly complains about the financial strain placed on him by his extended family. An ongoing storyline through the first series is the upcoming birth of his first grandchild. Even after this, he maintains his devil-may-care lifestyle, but insists that he is "a naughty boy, not a bastard". Along with his familial commitments, he also has a continuing interest in gambling, and thus joined UCOS for financial reasons. Gerry owns a 1977 Triumph Stag roadster (1974 in the pilot episode),[22] and has a passion for cooking fine food for his extended family and colleagues. After a tense beginning, he and Sandra share a mutually respectful but barbed friendship. They sometimes pose as husband and wife when undercover. In Series 10, Gerry is eventually left as the last original member of UCOS, and his first impressions of his two new colleagues are not favourable; he believes Dan Griffin was planted in the unit by the Murder Squad, and his new boss Sasha Miller only got the job due to her husband's rank in the force. Gerry even threatens to leave when Sasha responds to his accusations by revealing that she attempted to get forensic evidence without informing her new team, but by the end of the case he has come to respect her. As of 2013, Gerry is the only character to have appeared in all New Tricks episodes. In September 2014, Dennis Waterman announced that he would be leaving the show in November after filming two new episodes of the next series.

Steve McAndrew (Ex-DetectiveInspector) (Denis Lawson) (2012–15): Retired Detective Inspector Steve McAndrew from Glasgow joins the team following Jack Halford's departure in A Death in the Family, after helping the team with a reopened case involving a missing girl. Described as "a bundle of energetic optimism with a tendency to get personally involved in the cases he's working on", and "the antithesis of Brian Lane's eternal pessimism", McAndrew has a reputation for being a whirlwind, and bringing anarchy to otherwise calm proceedings.[13] During the course of the series, he is revealed to have an ex-wife called Trisha, who had an affair with a corrupt detective from Glasgow named Frank McNair. In an argument with his wife, Steve lost his temper and threw a radio across the room, which led to Trisha getting custody on their son Stuart, and Steve became desperate to reunite with his son. He is in a relationship with girlfriend Charley, although it is implied in Series 10 that it has suffered following his move to London. Steve is considered to be the polar opposite of Brian, as he prefers a more hands-on approach to work. He and Gerry got to bond and became fast friends. Despite being a year older than Gerry. he is a lot fitter and healthier.

Dan Griffin (Ex-Detective Chief Inspector) (Nicholas Lyndhurst) (2013-15): A retired Detective Chief Inspector with experience in both the Murder Squad and the Diplomatic Protection Group, recommended by Brian Lane following his departure. He is a reserved character who can nevertheless provide surprising insights. His aloof manner rubs the team up the wrong way in his first case. While Sandra admires his abilities and knowledge, Gerry is initially convinced that he has been planted in UCOS by the Murder Squad to find out about the murder. He has a disabled teenage daughter, Holly, who enjoys jazz music. Griffin's wife is in a secure unit at a mental hospital - Danny eventually tells Sasha that she suffered a neuropathic condition that caused her to have delusions about those around her, which eventually led to her harming herself, Dan and people in the street. Medication failed to cure her illness and she was committed after trying to drown Holly, who was then aged 13. Although he loved her deeply, Dan had long abandoned hope of ever being able to be with her again, and is thus deeply conflicted when she finally begins to respond to new medicine.

Detective Chief InspectorSasha Miller (Tamzin Outhwaite) (2013-15): Fresh from her role as a DI in the Kidnap Unit, newly promoted DCI Miller is firm, feisty and fair with an inclusive and modern management style. She did not expect such a posting as her first role as a DCI, but she is intrigued by the UCOS success rate. Winning the respect of Gerry, Dan and Steve proves a challenge; she is initially accused by Gerry of doing nothing, and when she reveals that she has been secretly working to locate where a murder weapon was found, the team react angrily at being kept out of the loop. She is married to a fellow Met officer and has two children away at university. After cracking her first UCOS case, Sasha discovers that her husband has been having an affair, which brings her stable home life to a sudden end. Outhwaite previously appeared in Series 9 episode 6, playing the mother of a young rising tennis star who died in suspicious circumstances.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Donald Bevan (Nicholas Day / Tim Woodward in the Pilot) (2003–2004): Deputy Assistant Commissioner Donald Bevan is the founder of UCOS, originally intending it as a public relations gesture, to prevent an ex-convict from suing the Met for wrongful arrest. In contrast to the team, he is stereotypically obsessed with modern bureaucracy and buzzwords. Relations between him and the team are strained: UCOS's successes anger him as they are achieved in the 'wrong' way, and sometimes show serving officers and the respectable people Bevan wishes to associate himself with to be careless and even corrupt. He knows both Jack Halford and Gerry Standing personally, and strongly opposes Standing's inclusion in the team. Bevan claimed that Standing had taken a bribe for deliberately fouling up a stake-out of a gangster he knew through greyhound racing. Standing, meanwhile, blamed Bevan for the mistake, saying that his superior's choice of position meant that everyone knew the police were there, and so when Gerry left to tend to a badly beaten girl found in a nearby flat, and his partner absconded, the gangster got away with the money. Bevan then accused Standing of beating the girl himself, which was what caused Gerry to break his jaw. In his final appearance, he tries to get Sandra Pullman hired by SO10 (covert operations), and suffers politically as a result.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Robert Strickland (Anthony Calf) (2005–15): Deputy Assistant Commissioner Robert Strickland is the team's boss. A political animal who enjoys basking in reflected glory of UCOS's clean up rate, his choice of cases is influenced by a desire to make his department look good. Despite this, he is a strong supporter of the UCOS team, and has used his influence to protect them when necessary. He also has two children from a past marriage - but they are never seen. Although he worked with Whitehall intelligence operative Stephen Fisher before joining the force, Strickland is always wary of Fisher's interference and will defend his officers when Whitehall attempts to manipulate them into securing evidence or information in cases that are socially sensitive. Despite the fact that he is considered a somewhat self-serving officer, he has nonetheless been quite supportive of their actions. He adamantly refused to allow Fisher to strongarm the team into working for him despite the fact that Fisher could seriously damage his career. In another instance, wherein Sandra and the team made a collar and got a less-than-desirable result that would possibly cause a small political storm, Strickland made it clear that he wanted the case investigated regardless of the result, and that he was aware that the case was unlikely to end happily. In more recent series, Strickland's political motives are outweighed by his desire to let UCOS get on with its work, and he uses his political savvy to navigate through the quagmire of potential landmines. Though he will still discipline the team when they blatantly break the rules, he is willing to accept their actions if a result is achieved. Strickland even subtly gave Brian a chance to explain himself when he was forced to fire him, and it was only when Brian made it clear that he stood by his actions that Strickland finally told him to go.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ned Hancock (Barnaby Kay) (2013-): The ex-husband of Sasha Miller, he and his wife were initially viewed as the golden high-flying couple of the police force until she divorced him owing to his infidelity. Despite this, he still harbours feelings for his ex-wife and does make attempts to win her back in the eleventh series.

PC Izzy Clark (Chiké Okonkwo) (2003–2004): PC Izzy Clark is assigned to the team to help them with their IT needs and administration, though he soon becomes a valued member of the team. Unlike the retired members of the team, Izzy relies completely on modern policing techniques, an asset valued highly by DAC Donald Bevan. When Bevan's attempt to hire Sandra Pullman onto S010 fails, he pulls Izzy out of UCOS and instead offers him a place training with a firearms unit.

Esther Lane (Susan Jameson) (2003–2013): Esther is Brian Lane's long-suffering wife: they have been married for nearly thirty years. Esther and Brian met when he arrested her for attempting to steal a copy of Lady Chatterley's Lover from a library. Brian once suspected Esther of being a spy sent to report on his activities, when he discovered a link between her and a high-profile protest group. They have an adult son, Mark, who is rarely spoken about, but who often attends AFC Wimbledon football matches with his father. Esther often offers Brian advice and help with the cases he is working on. Susan Jameson, who plays Esther, is married to co-star James Bolam.

Jayne Standing (Natalie Forbes) (2003-2007) Jayne is Gerry Standing's ex-wife and his most frequent on-off lover. She appears to be good friends with his other two ex-wives and of the three of them is the one who finds herself most often seduced by Gerry. She was last seen visiting him in hospital after a car accident at the beginning of the fourth series.

Grace Pullman (Sheila Hancock) (2007–2011): Grace is Sandra Pullman's mother and the widow of Sandra's father, Gordon, who committed suicide by carbon monoxide inhalation. She is reunited with Sandra when she asks her to help choose a care home because of her recent battle with Ménière's disease. Their decision uncovers a murder which prevents Grace from moving into her desired home, prompting Jack, Brian and Gerry to investigate undercover without Strickland's knowledge. She later suffers a stroke, causing her to reveal to Sandra the truth about her father's death after Sandra looks into a closed file. Their attempts to heal the rift between them throughout the series fail; when briefly living with Sandra, Grace reflects that instead of bringing them together, Gordon's death drove them further apart.

Emily Driscoll (Hannah Waterman) (2006–2010): Emily Driscoll is a trainee police officer who turns up at Gerry's house saying that she thinks he is her father. Unbeknown to her, he performs a DNA test that proves he is not her biological father. He doesn't have the heart to tell her, and she continues to believe he is her dad. She realises that he has lied to her when he gives evidence in court relating to Ricky Hanson, and when he hesitates before claiming that Emily is his daughter. She ignores his phone calls when he tries to apologise to her, although Emily eventually allows Gerry to continue to act as a fatherly figure in her life. Emily is eager to be an excellent police officer like Gerry, and proves successful, although she does become annoyed when Jack and Brian are temporarily placed under her command and both choose not to follow modern procedure. Hannah Waterman, who plays Emily, is Dennis Waterman's daughter.

Ricky Hanson (David Troughton) (2006–2009): Ricky Hanson is a career criminal whom Jack and Sandra were investigating for at least three murders in Jack's last case before he retired. This was no coincidence, as an investigation by UCOS several years later eventually revealed that Hanson had run over Jack's wife, Mary. Jack retired to care for Mary, although she did not live very long after the incident, which was thought to be a simple hit-and-run. When Jack confronts Hanson, he cruelly confesses the crime in detail, prompting Jack to attempt revenge by running the criminal down, but Jack is prevented from doing so. Hanson later attempts to murder Jack in hospital by smothering him with a pillow, but is stopped by Brian. When Hanson attempts to strangle Brian, Jack strikes him with an oxygen cylinder. Hanson is subsequently found not guilty on the charge of attempted murder, although in an apparent continuity error no reference is made to a ward nurse having been attacked by him during the incident. Later, In the sixth series, Hanson is linked to the disappearance of two Anti-Fascist activists. UCOS discover from Frank Patterson that Hanson's son, Luke, was in the car that ran down Mary. Luke admits this when it is revealed that Ricky has had an incestuous relationship with his secret daughter. Luke also had a relationship with the girl, although neither knew they were half-siblings at the time. Ricky is arrested for running down Mary, as well as the murder of the activists, and is sent to prison.

Frank Patterson (Phil Daniels) (2009–2010): Patterson is a short-tempered, old-fashioned copper, a former police colleague of Gerry's. He and Gerry fell out over a woman. They reunite when Frank is interviewed over an investigation of the disappearance of two student activists, which leads to UCOS's old enemy Ricky Hanson. Frank provides information that is crucial in Hanson's arrest for killing the activists, and then assists the team in securing his conviction for the attack on Mary Halford. Frank returns to get the team to reinvestigate an armed robbery and several murders in the 1980s—he suspects that a now senior officer might have tipped off the robbery's ringleader for a cut and then conspired to cover it up.

Stephen Fisher (Tim McInnerny) (2011-2012): Fisher is a high-ranking Whitehall intelligence operative (and old acquaintance of DAC Strickland) who frequently uses UCOS operatives to serve his own ends, usually involving shady government deals. He first appears in "The Gentleman Vanishes", ostensibly as a supporter of UCOS advising Strickland to avoid a professional hitman. However, he does not always follow his orders, as he gives information that allows the team to attempt to arrest the hitman, although the operation does not go according to plan. In "A Death in the Family", Fisher blackmails the reluctant ex-cops into helping him with a case relating to government dealings with the Chinese by unearthing their personal secrets, and consolidates his minimal respect for the UCOS team with jibes about the detectives' weaknesses, particularly Brian Lane's alcoholism. However, he shows some regard for Jack Halford, calling him 'professional to the last'. When Jack passes sensitive documents regarding the case to a contact in the press, it was revealed that this was Fisher's intention all along—the information of the deal will now enter the public domain with only Halford at risk of being charged under The Official Secrets Act, and the scandal's seriousness will ultimately protect him from recriminations. In the final episode of the ninth series, "Part of a Whole", it transpires that Strickland first knew Fisher at Sandhurst and was part of a covert 'black bag' operation (a robbery) that went awry—a dark secret that places all the former agents in mortal danger. Fisher nearly loses his life when shot by a gunman on a motorcycle and was last seen recuperating in hospital, already plotting his revenge against those responsible for the attempt on his life.

Holly Griffin (Storme Toolis) (2013-): Dan Griffin's daughter. She is very close to her father, owing to her mother's absence, and often prompts him in the right direction towards solving a case. She is a jazz fanatic and a bright student studying law at university. She leaves home during Series 10, her absence causing problems for Dan's personal life. Unlike her father, Holly has no contact with her mother at the mental hospital, since her delusions caused her to try and drown Holly when she was 13. Although no one ever thought her mother had any idea what she was doing when she attacked, Dan implies that the incident left Holly unable to ever trust her mother again.

In 2011, James Bolam announced to the producers that he would be leaving the show; he was replaced by Denis Lawson. In 2012, both Alun Armstrong and Amanda Redman announced to the producers that they would be leaving the show; they were replaced by Nicholas Lyndhurst and Tamzin Outhwaite respectively. In September 2014, Dennis Waterman announced that he would be leaving the show after filming two episodes of the next series; Larry Lamb will replace him for the rest of this final series.

^1 A significant supporting character. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Robert (sometimes Bob) Strickland is directly responsible for both the operation and actions of UCOS, but is not involved in most cases. He does, however, engage the team in cases with a political aspect, and sometimes becomes involved in other sensitive cases.

Roy Mitchell, Creator of the series; being a supporter of the English football teamWest Bromwich Albion, named numerous characters after past and then-current players. The three main male characters having derived their names from the club's oldest stand, "The Halfords Lane Stand", at The Hawthorns football ground in West Bromwich.[23]

The theme tune of the program is sung by cast member Dennis Waterman. The song is "It's Alright" (written by Mike Moran). Production music was composed by father and son team Brian and Warren Bennett. The British release of the first season DVD contains "End of the Line" at the end of the pilot episode. The American version however, does not. Instead, it was dubbed over the end credits and the credits themselves were changed because "End of the Line" was omitted.